– SEIU Affiliate Comes Out For Carbon Pricing, Sends Letter to Legislative Leaders: SEIU 32BJ, a union representing over 155,000 service workers across New England has come out in support of carbon pricing legislation in Massachusetts. In a letter of support to House Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Spilka the union cited the impact of climate change on SEIU members, and the need to include equity and justice in finding policy solutions to the climate crisis.

– “A Whale Of A Problem: Youth Climate Activists Construct Mosaic In Boston, Demand Action”(Miriam Wasser, WBUR’s Earthwhile): “Using more than 1,200 individually painted tiles, youth climate activists with the nonprofit Our Climate constructed a giant mosaic on Boston Common this weekend. They arranged the tiles in the shape of a mother and calf pair of North Atlantic right whales, a critically endangered species threatened by climate change….More than a few tiles included language about carbon pricing, one of Our Climate’s main legislative priorities.”

BUSINESS, CLIMATE

– Local Green Businesses Awarded for Achievement, Innovation, and Community: Over 75 business leaders gathered in District Hall in Boston on Monday, June 24th, as part of theClimate Action Business Association’s (CABA) 6th annual All-Member Reception. The reception featured a Q&A with cleantech incubator Greentown Labs and awards for three CABA member businesses. Awardees includedEnevo(Innovation Award),Sunwealth(Achievement Award), andWillie’s Superbrew(Community Award).

2020 CLIMATE

– “Jay Inslee has a radical plan to phase out fossil fuel production in the US” (David Roberts, Vox): “Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign has been releasing its climate policy — the central rationale for its existence — in pieces. Extremely large, detailed, and nuanced pieces… On Monday, the fourth piece, “Freedom From Fossil Fuels,” is out. It is in many ways the most radical piece yet, and likely to be the most controversial.It is about cutting off the flow of fossil fuels from the US — “keeping it in the ground,” as the kids say.”

BEYOND THE BAY STATE

– “A Closer Look at New York City’s New Groundbreaking Climate Bill”(Noa Dalzell, Climate XChange): “Local Law 97, which was overwhelmingly approved by the New York City Council on April 18, caps the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of large, energy-intensive buildings, and hits non-complying building owners with steep fines. The bill, which is the first of its kind in the country, seeks to address the fact that buildings make up the largest percentage of emissions in the city, responsible for about two-thirds of its overall emissions in 2017.Heating, cooling, and lighting buildings all require significant energy, and many skyscrapers are particularly inefficient.”

BEACON HILL HAPPENINGS
- The Inside Scoop: What's Gonna Pass In 2019: Back from August recess, state lawmakers are refocusing their efforts on multiple legislative priorities including a number of clean energy and climate change proposals. Interestingly, the timeline for some...